Rock Pipits at the Round Pond

The main interest today was two Rock Pipits which visited the south side of the Round Pond where they were photographed by Samuel Levy, who was helping Bill Haines to do the monthly bird count. They are the Scandianvian subspecies, Anthus petrosus littoralis. I missed them when I was there, unfortunately. I've never seen a Rock Pipit, though Meadow Pipits are occasional visitors, usually on the rough grass south of Kensington Palace.

The Little Owl at the pond was staying in her hole, sheltering from the rising wind.

Two Jackdaws perched on the dead tree.

There's always a pair of Magpies in the scrub between the bridge and the Vista waiting to be given peanuts.

A Carrion Crow stood on the anemometer at the boat hire building.

A Wren climbed a birch tree near the Lido.

There were a few hardy visitors on the outside tables at the Lido restaurant, with Starlings waiting on another table for them to finish.

The Robin in the Rose Garden is still ignoring my attempts to feed it.

A charming picture of a Blue Tit by Mark Williams ...

... and a rather dreadful shot by me of the pigeon-eating Lesser Black-Backed Gull hauling out the intestines of his latest victim.

A Grey Heron preened in the collapsed willow next to the bridge. The branches trailing in the water make this tree a popular resting place for all kinds of birds, and it's where a pair of Great Crested Grebes nested in the summer.

These are they, displaying on the Long Water.

A picture I took earlier of two of their youngsters practising the same display. It's hardwired into their brains but they have to practise to get it right, and the dance that concludes the full display takes some time to perfect.

A Pochard was dozing in the water under the willow.

A Cormorant was poised to jump out of a pool in the Italian Garden.

This year's young carp are now up to a foot long, but the Cormorants still manage to get them down.

A Grey Squirrel hung upside down by its hind feet to eat the fruit from a hawthorn tree. Sure-footed as they are, they occasionally lose their grip and I've seen one fall into the Long Water and have to swim ashore.